The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any country and does a very poor job both in reintegrating the incarcerated into society and in helping heal the wounds of victims of crime. Fortunately the Restorative Justice Movement is working hard to reshape our entire approach to the legal system and is beginning to gain traction in many states. Formerly incarcerated activists and leading Restorative Justice practitioners share their powerful stories of transformation and their strategies to help us become a truly restorative society. With: Rose Elizondo, co-founder, San Quentin Restorative Justice Interfaith Roundtable; Garry Malachi Scott, Re-entry/Community Restorative Justice Coordinator for Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY); Julia Arroyo,Movement Building Director, Young Women's Freedom Center; Jerry Elster, Healing Justice Coordinator, American Friends Service Committee.

Julia Arroyo, of Mexican/Filipino descent, has a background in community health and rape crisis support. She turned her life around after foster care and incarceration and is dedicated to the empowerment of young women in hitherto disenfranchised communities. Currently the Moveme... Read More →

Rose Elizondo, a Soros Justice Fellow and a community organizer and leader in the Restorative Justice (RJ) movement in Northern California, co-founder of the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council, has developed a wide range of programs, trainings, and practices in schools and... Read More →

Jerry Elster, the Healing Justice Coordinator for American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), is also a formerly incarcerated person and a member of All of Us or None, a movement-led organization that advocates for the rights of prisoners and their families.

Garry “Malachi” Scott, Re-entry/Community Restorative Justice Coordinator for Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth, co-founded the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council and served on Oakland’s Safety and Services Oversight Commission. He came to restorative justice through t... Read More →